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RHODIUM - good

Cables
#1

Exactly how conductive is perfect-surface rhodium? Apparently at least as good as gold but with a more balanced impedance curve, specifically better retrieval of higher frequencies - it’s definitely not warm by signature. Some have found silver to work better in their system than rhodium, but what I understood is that it’s not necessarily any less revealing, just neutral.
Since rhodium is acclaimed for its neutrality, why isn’t it used more often?
Would it be technically difficult to rhodium-plate copper cables? I’ve only seen it on terminations.

Please discuss this wonderful noble metal.

#2

My Furutech 20 amp duplex outlet is rhodium. Sounds fine!

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#3

Surely… I believe that. I mean, obviously it sounds great. To me it might sound fantastical.

I have long been pondering on the importance of having same material terminations (and terminals) for the whole analogue signal chain. For ex., starting from the power outlet, the pins are rhdoium, the plug prongs are rhodium, the IEC connectors are rhodium bothways, the speaker cables are terminated with rhodium to rhodium plated terminals both on the amp & speakers… So a perfect surface rhodium-rhodium interface at every single analogue connection - this coupled with perfectly matched voltages to input sensitivites. How could you go wrong with rhodium?

#4

Mine was a facetious remark. Scuse me.

#5

Well, yes, I can also imagine that having a rhodium duplex isn’t enough rhodium, not at all.
I love how it’s actually a thing to have Furutech rhodium sockets installed into a power plant. According to Paul, the power plants love a low impedance line driving them, thus preferably a dedicated one. I’d definitely start my rhodium journey from the wall onwards because I don’t want any losses from a default quality AC socket.

#6

Where in a typical signal chain would rhodium make the largest impact on sound quality? I’d guess not sockets or plated plug pins… If we are after the characteristically neutral tonality of rhodium, wouldn’t it matter most in interconnects and speaker cable terminations (AND the terminals - perfect surface rhodium isn’t perfect surface for show, obviously we’d gain most of such metallurgic benefits with tight-locking, maximum area connectors with perfect surface against perfect surface. So spades?
Why isn’t there a way to hook speaker cables to terminals such that the terminal is bare and the cable connects to it like a tight-locking RCA’s ground ring, for maximum contact all around? I’m speaking of a cylindrical terminal.

#7

This may be a partial reason as to why rhodium isn’t used more often. Prices are per ounce:

Copper: $0.19
Silver: $25.29
Platinum: $908.00
Gold: $1,902.60
Palladium: $2,332.00
Rhodium: $12,300.00

2 Likes
#8

Wow. :exploding_head:

#9

The resistivity of rhodium is roughly double that of gold, which in its turn is a third higher than copper. Rhodium is normally used as a plating because of its high resistance to corrosion.

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#10

Rhodium is harder making it more durable than gold which makes it better for plug type connectors.

#11

Roughly double?
I understand rhodium’s mechanical benefits and the ease of making a perfect atomic surface, but now I’m confused why it’s so praised for its apparently inherent qualities as a “clear and neutral” conductor. They say gold is “warmer”, this would intuitively suggest to me that gold is more resistive for higher frequencies. Apparently the characteristic signatures of conductors aren’t so simply explainable.

#12

Can someone please explain how many consider the presence of rhodium in their system as added neutrality and detail when compared to gold, when gold actually has better conductsnce?
At the same time I could ask, why do people like the JPS Labs aluminium cables so much when aluminium’s conductivity is even worse?
EDIT: JPS uses an alloy, but still.

Should I start accepting such a fact that conductance is simply not what makes a conductor ultimately better for a purpose? Now this is hard to swallow.

#13

Not just corrosion, but also damage and wear resistance. Which is the reason why rhodium is standard for hospital grade outlets and connectors. The engineers at Hubbell were very graphic when I worked with them on our first outlet. The outlet bodies were made to withstand the EVIL ENEMY of commercial outlets: being rammed and smacked every night by a big ass floor polisher. The internal connections had to stand up to blood, vomit and being plugged and unplugged a hundred times a day while suppling power for critical life saving equipment.

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#14

Alas none of those are seen in our use but that’s not to say they aren’t fantastic for our purpose. I really like the Cardas spades on my speaker cables.

#15

Yes, no blood and vomit over mine, not often anyway :slight_smile: